Miss Spelled (21 page)

She breathes deeply and calms herself down.

‘Will this get you closer to Aiden?’ she asks.

I shake my head. ‘ I don’t know, but we did actually meet at a fun run, so, maybe? I dunno.’

‘If this helps you, then I’ll do it. I want you to give it all you’ve got, and it’s my job as your friend to help you get there.’

I throw my arms around her, feeling every ounce of gratitude possible for having such an amazing friend.

‘But if Ben and I have trouble conceiving, you do owe me your firstborn.’

I smile and nod madly. ‘Deal.’

‘Right,’ she says as she puts her t-shirt on. ‘Let’s go, Mudder!’

We walk to the starting line, hand in hand, like comrades to the battlefield.

We assemble as a team, which is probably the last time we will be together in a group, because I suspect half of us will be dead before the end of the day.

‘Right, Mudders, bring out your Braveheart battle cries. It’s a one-kilometre run to the first obstacle. Remember, work as a team. No one is left behind,’ screams Sergeant Walnut.

‘Jesus, Mel. I’m scared.’

She squeezes my hand. ‘Me too.’

The siren sounds and off we go, caught up in the crush of 50 or so people. Within seconds we are both covered in mud splatter from our own feet and everyone else’s. This is not going to be pretty.

We jog or walk the kilometre to the first obstacle, trying to keep a pace that won’t have us exhausted after the second obstacle, but doesn’t make us fall too far behind. The first obstacle is soon in sight. It’s a huge slide with a gradient of at least 60
°
. It looks like a skateboarder’s dream.

Aiden is there, laying on the top helping others as they launch themselves and attempt to clasp onto his outstretched hand. I take a long run-up and sprint as fast as possible to halfway before launching like Superman and hoping to God someone will catch me. No one does. I splat onto the ramp and slide back down on my belly. This goes on for a good five minutes before I am able to grasp a hand and am pulled to the top.

It’s Aiden.

Victory! I made it. My body is, no doubt, covered in bruises and cuts, none of which I can feel at the moment because my entire body is aching already, but I made it. Onto the next one.

We are ragged by the third obstacle. Both Mel and myself have nearly run out of puff and there are still 17 more to go. Holy shit. This is a testament to my love for Aiden, that I would put myself through this just in the hope of him noticing me. It is also a testament to Mel’s friendship, because she has no reason to do this, other than to help me.

The Arctic Enema is just that. We run and jump off a high platform, landing in a large pool filled with ice cubes. Aiden is on the other side, helping everyone to get out, even those who are not in our team.

As soon as my body touches the water, a primal scream thunders out of me. It’s a cross between a wail and a banshee cry. The water is so frigging cold that every muscle in my chest contracts and refuses to relax, which makes taking a breath near-impossible. All I can do is gasp for air and hope that some makes it into my lungs.

Mel rises from the water after me and her reaction is the same as mine. We briefly look at each other before she grabs my arm and pulls me behind her to the other end of the pool. Some saviour reaches down and pulls her out first, then me. It’s Aiden. Unfortunately though, my entire body has turned into a block of ice, so enjoying his touch is not possible. Diamonds are no longer the hardest substance on earth – my nipples are.

We run on, exhausted. Aiden runs ahead and does the obstacle first so he can help everyone else. So far he’s pulled me over, under or through five obstacles.

The tenth obstacle is a mud run, waist-deep in mud thick enough to stand up by itself. Of course, my height disadvantage comes into play again and what is waist height for everyone else is nearly chest height for me. I could disappear in here and never be found again. Thankfully, Mel grabs me and makes sure I don’t become a permanent fixture of the Swamp Stomp, as Aiden pulls me out of yet another pile of mud. I now weigh 10 kilos more due to the caked-on, dried mud that has adhered to my clothes, skin and hair.

At obstacle 15 Mel is injured. She twists her ankle in another mud run and has to be carried off the course to the medical tent. She gives me the thumbs up and yells, ‘Keep going Lou. Don’t give up!’

By obstacle 17, I am shattered. My jogging has turned into a series of falls, each one more spectacular than the last. There isn’t one bit of me that isn’t covered in mud. I’ve swallowed some and can feel the grittiness of it on my teeth and up my nose. The good news is there are many, many people who look the same as me, but we all push onwards. It has become a challenge I need to complete.

The last obstacle, the Electric Eel, involves commando-crawling through thick mud, on my tummy, trying to dodge electrified wires dangling only eight inches above the ground. A few of them have touched me and sent a 10,000 volt charge though my body. It doesn’t tickle.

Never in my life has there been a positive side to being so flat-chested, but today, with the Electric Eel, I have found it. Eight inches seems roomier when you don’t have large breasts to prevent you from pancaking on the ground. The next time I whinge about being so unencumbered with boobies, the memory of this particular obstacle will race forth in my mind and remind me of the upside.

Eventually, four hours after starting this barbaric, torturous and violent obstacle course, we are close to crossing the finishing line. There’s 500 metres to go, but my body has long ago ceased to exist from the eyeballs down. My feet are lumps of lead, thumping along the muddy ground, trying not to fall over themselves and have me crashing down to earth. If that were to happen, nothing would inspire me to get back up again. The rest of my life would be spent in a crumpled heap on the ground. I’m that tired.

Suddenly, Aiden runs towards me and smiles, his gorgeous face covered in mud, dirt and grass. In fact, every inch of him covered in mud. He turns and runs next to me, which means I must be the last of our team to finish.

‘Come on, Lou. You’re doing so well. You’re nearly there,’ he says.

‘I can’t…’

If there was available energy, I’d burst into tears out of complete and utter defeat, both physical and mental.

‘No, you can’t give up now. Come on, I’ll take you,’ he says as he takes my arm in his hand and pulls me along, gently. Just like he did the day we met, at the fun run when he helped me to cross the finish line. It’s a replay. Is this the event that will bring us back together?

His touch injects life back into me. This is the whole reason I’m here, for this moment. To be close to Aiden, to be touched by Aiden. To make a lasting impression, to make him fall in love with me again. There’s no giving up now.

‘Come on, Lou. You’re doing great. We’re nearly finished. You can do this,’ he says. ‘I believe in you, come on.’

He believes in me!

‘Yes! Yes, I can,’ I say, strength and energy flooding my veins, God knows from where. I break into a jog, one that feels lighter, easier.

‘Great, Lou, keep going,’ he says. ‘I’m here with you!’

My jog turns into a run. It’s there, the finish line, and we’re going to cross it together, just like the day we met a little over a year ago.
Is this the moment when his memory returns?

The crowd is cheering us on, lifting me up until I feel 10 feet tall and invincible. With Aiden by my side, we sprint to the finishing line and cross. My arms throw themselves up in victory and tears rush down my cheeks. I did it! I did it!

He turns to me and sweeps me up in his arms, so high that my feet leave the ground. He twirls me around, looking up at me with the eyes and the smile that made me fall in love with him. The feel of his arms around my waist is magical, even better than what’s in my memory.

Please, never let me go
.

I giggle and smile and laugh and cry as my fingers caress his hair. The fact that it’s caked with dried mud doesn’t bother me. Nothing bothers me right now.

For a few seconds we look into each other’s eyes and something happens. Something passes between us. The same thing that passed between us the day we met. Magic. Attraction. Knowing.

He holds me for only a short time, but it seems like an eternity, like time has frozen.

Perfect
.

The noise of the crowd cheering others on can’t be heard anymore. The fact they are bumping into us doesn’t matter. All that matters, all that counts, is here and now. All that matters is Aiden.

He slides me down his body until our faces are level. More than anything I want to kiss him. More than anything, ever. I can feel his heart pounding in his chest through the several layers of mud that separate us. We continue to gaze into each other’s eyes and the electricity between us ramps up to dangerous levels.

Please kiss me. Please. I’ll burst if you don’t
.

Our bodies are pressed together, my feet still dangling off the ground. The only thing that separates us is are two thin layers of cloth and lots of mud. It’s all so familiar.

My back arches in response to the feel of his muscular chest so close to mine, and the desire to wrap my thighs around his hips is insufferable.

Then, just as I think he’s about to forget himself and kiss me, someone bumps us and Aiden loses his balance. He staggers a few steps backwards before bouncing off someone else. For a few seconds it’s possible we may fall over, which wouldn’t be such a bad thing in my mind. He regains his steadiness, places me back down on the ground and releases me from his clutches.

I want to launch back into his arms because even though the moment has ended, it could definitely be reconstructed.

But he stands further back from me. ‘Well done!’ he says. ‘Great effort. You’d better go and get yourself a drink. You must be thirsty after all that.’

He moves on to the next person.

He can’t remember my name. Even after everything I’ve done to get his attention, to jog his memory, he still can’t remember me. If it was possible to dissolve into a little pile of heartbreak, that’s exactly what I’d be doing right now.

* * *

The trip home is long and uncomfortable. The showering facilities at the grounds were pretty awful, so most team members have stayed in their Mudder clothes and as a consequence, the enclosed space smells worse than 10,000 change rooms.

Mel sounds enthusiastic as we discuss the events of the afternoon.

‘See! It was worth it. All that pain, it got you closer to him,’ she says.

‘Hmmm, maybe,’ I grumble. ‘Besides, it’s too late now. Tomorrow at noon he’s marrying Geneva. I am out of chances to change his mind. He’s going home to his apartment and I’m going home to my parent’s house. We’re not going to meet up again. Today was my last chance.’

Mel tries to talk me around, but my mind is firm. Today was my last chance and it’s gone up in a puff of smoke. So close and yet so far.

The trip home is spent with me staring morosely out the window, preferring to be alone with my nightmares for a while. There are five missed calls on my phone, but at the moment Hunter is the last person I want to hear from. It’s most likely to be him leaving messages and if he has any more demands, then Geneva can take care of him. Spending Monday to Friday with him has been more than enough for me.

Half of the bus has fallen asleep, including Mel, while the other half are zombies, like me, but at least my feet are off the ground and not expected to hold my weight.

We arrive back at the bank around five in the afternoon. Mel hobbles off the bus, her ankle wrapped tightly, and we assemble as a group when Sergeant Walnut instructs. Aiden takes to the step of the bus so everyone can see him.

‘Just a quickie to thank you all for your efforts today. I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves, as much as it’s possible to enjoy a Tough Mudder. Now go home and have a shower because you all stink!’ he says.

Everyone laughs as the small crowd disperses.

Some walk over to Aiden and wish him luck for the wedding tomorrow. I am not one of them.

We hobble over to the car and together and attempt to load Mel inside without falling over. We are both beyond exhausted, and as soon as we reach home, I am heading straight for a shower and then Mum and Dad’s spa bath. Probably for the rest of my life.

After Mel is safely tucked inside, without adding further injury to her already-swollen ankle, Aiden walks over to me.

‘Hi,’ he says.

‘Hi,’ I say back.

This is awkward
.

‘Well done today,’ he says.

‘You don’t remember me, do you?’ I ask.

He looks at the ground. ‘Are you new?’

‘I gave you Amelia’s phone number yesterday and told you to ring her while Hunter was in hospital.’

‘Oh, that was you? You look different, did you get your hair cut since yesterday?’

I shake my head.

‘How is Hunter, anyway?’ he asks.

‘I don’t know.’
And don’t care
. ‘I also worked the rehearsal dinner at the Crown Towers last night.’

He looks at me as though he’s trying to place me but can’t.

‘Remember? I’m a teacher and will be returning to it after this assignment. You said how you’d love to be a teacher but have too many expectations on you.’

He smiles, an awkward kind of smile.

‘You know, for what it’s worth, I think you’d make a great teacher and if that’s what you really want to do then, well, you should do it.’

He gives a smile that is tainted with sadness. ‘Me too, but that’s just not possible,’ he says.

There’s nothing left to lose now because it’s all gone—my man, my job, my house, so it falls out my mouth and no attempt is made to stop it.

‘Sometimes you’ve got to walk away from those who want you to do their bidding. This life is your journey, not your mother’s or Geneva’s. You need to make yourself happy, because no one else will do it for you.’

He looks at me, his expression part shocked, part offended. But I don’t care anymore.

Now it’s my turn to walk away.